from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,

“I’m still around.”

In those three words, Alex Burrows tried to summarize and justify his wild rollercoaster ride the last four months when it appeared his days as a long-serving Vancouver Canucks winger were numbered. The first hint came in early March when he was told by the coaching staff that younger players were a roster priority. But he wasn’t moved at the trade deadline and wasn’t bought out last month.

And when Canucks general manager Jim Benning was asked if the 35-year-old National Hockey League survivor would be part of any off-season transactions, his reaction was quick, concise and somewhat confusing: “No,” he said. “He’s going to be part of our group.”

“It means a lot,” said Burrows, who has a no-trade clause in his contract. “It means I can still be an asset to the team and still help the young guys and be good leader in the room.”

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